Hoisting and conveying apparatus.



A. E. NORRIS. HOISTING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1906.

Patented May 25, 1909.

4 SHEBTSw-SHEET 1.

THE mwms PETEBs ca, WASHINOION. n. c,

A. E. NORRIS.

HOISTING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 8,1906.

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A. E. NORRIS.

HOISTING AND v CONVEYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION rum) JUNE 8,1906.

922,807. Patented May 25, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ZUZZIwSSC-ZS. Inventor".

ww m- 7 A. E. NORRIS.

HOISTING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS. APPLICATION TILED JUNE 8,1906.

922,807 Patented May 25, 1909.

4 8HEETS-SHBBT 4.

- EJ/"orris. 7 M2 ALMON E. NORRIS, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

HOISTING AND CONVEYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1909.

Original application filed January 14, 1905, Serial No. 241,072. Divided and this application filed June 8, 1906. Serial No. 320,731.

0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALMoN E. Nonnis, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Hoisting and Conveying Apparatus, oi which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

Ally invention consists in improvements in hoisting and conveying apparatus and particular y in improvements relating to hoisting and conveying systems employing a cable or other trackway along which there is adapted to travel a trolley carriage carrying suitable load-hoisting devices.

It also consists in improvements in rope guiding and equalizing devices, and in the construction of the trolley carriage itself.

This application is a division of my prior (lo-pending application Ser. No. 241,072, filed January 14, 1905.

My invention will be best understood by reference to the following description, when taken in connection with. the accompanying drawings, of one specific embodiment thereoi, while its scope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,-Figure 1V is a plan in outline of a hoisting engine provided with winding drums illustrating one form or embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, partially broken away and partially in section, of the winding drums and driving connections shown in Fig. 1; Figs. i and 5 are diagrammatic views showing the cable connections which may be employed, and the cable movements during hoisting and traversing respectively; Figs. 6 and 7 show an improved form of trolley carriage in plan an d side elevation respective Fig. 8 shows, partially broken away, the details of one form of rope-equalizing device looking from underneath the carriage seen in 6, and Fig. 9 is an end elevation oi the same, also broken away.

In the drawings I have shown, for illustrative purposes, a hoisting engine mounted upon the bed plate a provided with the two cj-Jlinders l) and 2'), having piston rods, one of which, a, is shown in 2, connecting rods (1 and (Z and crank disks 6 and e, the latter connected directly to the drum shaft f (see g is rigidly attached.

Fig. 3). While this double cylinder, steam hoisting engine is selected to illustrate my invention, it is to be understood that the latter is not limited to any particular type or form of motive means. The drum shaft is suitably journaled in bearings 6 carried by the engine frame a and has upon it the two winding drums g and h, which may be of any suitable construction, but which herein l have shown each of a shape adapted to be embraced i y several convolutions of an endless cable to provide the necessary friction for transmitting power to the trolley carriage through the cable as one strand thereof winds upon the drum and the other unwinds.

The winding drums shown herein are intended to be operated at will in one direction at one speed, and at a reduced speed in a re versed relation, and the means for attaining this end will be best understood by reference to Fig. 3. The drum f has fixedly secured to it, to rotate therewith, the pinion 9 the teeth o'l which mesh with one or more pinions 9 the latter journaled upon studs g secured to and carried by the part to which the drum Meshing also with the pinion g is an internal gear g carried by or l'ormed upon the member 9, which latter is mounted for free rotation upon the drum shal't Near the opposite end of the hoisting apparatus and upon the drum shaft is provided a second pinion h keyed or otherwise secured to the drum shaft and meshing with one or more intermediate pinions 7L2 journaled upon the studs 71 the latter being, however, secured to and carried by the member h which, like the member g, is journaled for free rotation upon the drum shalt. The pinion 7L also gears with the internal gear k which is formed upon or carried by the part 71. fixedly attached to the winding drum 71,. The free rotatable members g and it have formed upon their peripheries suitable brake surfaces embraced by the brake bands g and h respectively, which are so connected. to the rocker sha'lti (Fig. 1) that a movement of the hand lever i (Fig. 2) connected to the rocker shalti through links 2' and i will serve to securely and simultaneously clasp the said bands g and 72/7 about the surlaces of their respective brakedrums to oppose and com pletely stop further movement thereoi'. When this takes place, rotation of the drum shalt drives the pinion h in one direction, the pinion 7L2, the axis of which is now stationary,

in the opposite direction, and the gear 7L5 and the drum 7r also in an opposite direction and at a suitably reduced speed. The pinion g rotating in the same direction as the pinion 7i causes the pinion g to move and travel about the internal gear 9 now held fast, so that the drum 9 is caused to rotate in the I same direction as the pinion g and oppositely to the drum h. The relative sizes of the different gears is preferably such that while the two drums g and 72/ rotate in opposite directions, as has been seen, and at a speed relatively less than that of the shaft f, the speed of the two winding drums is substantially the same.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, I have there indicated diagrammatically the relation of the operating cables to the winding drums g and h and the trolley carriage. The latter designated by 7c, is adapted to run upon the cable-way Z. In the simplest and preferred embodiment of my invention the carriage is provided with two winding drums is secured each to one end of the depending hoisting rope k carrying the skip hook k and adapted when oppositely rotated to raise or lower the said hook. Secured to the hoisting drums k are the larger winches about which are carried with several turns the opposing loops Z and Z of the operating cable system which herein, and preferably, comprises a single endless cable. The strand Z of the loop Z passes to the end of the cable-way at which the drums g and 7?, are located, to and about the drum h and returning forms the strand 1 which passes to the opposite'end of the'cable-way and thence about suitable sheaves again to the trolley carriage to form one strand of the loop Z The other strand Z of the loop Z passes to and about the drum 9 and thence forming the strand Z passes to the opposite end of the cable-way and thence to thecarriage to form the remaining strand of the loop Z When the brake bands 9 and 72/ are tightened to throw in the slow reverse speed, the drums g and h rotate in the relations shown in Fig. 4 and cause the respective strands of the endlesscable to move in the directions indicated by the arrows, from which it will be seen that the winches k are caused to be'oppositely rotated to raise the hook k and e-Hect hoisting of the load. change in position of the carriage is efiected, for the loops Z and 1 remain of the same length, one strand of each being paid out as rapidly as the other is drawn in. When the load has been hoisted and it is desired to cause travel of the carriage, the latter may be'effected by producing conditions of cable movement shown in Fig. 5, where it will be observed that the direction of movement of the drum h has been reversed, the new relative rotation of the drums preferably taking place, as it will appear, at an increased speed.

During this operation no carriage lc will be moved to the left, the hook I and its attached load however being held in its initial elevated position.

Referring now to Fig. 3 and also to Figs. 1 and 2, the reverse movement of the winding drums is preferably effected by causing them to be driven directly from the driving shaft f. In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 3, a clutch member m is fixedly "secured to the shaft .f intermediate the rotatable members 9 and h. The latter are 1 novided with cone-shaped surfaces g an h, respectively, which overlie and cooperate with corresponding surfaces upon the clutch member m, in connection with suitable friction material m intermediate the two sets of surfaces, forming thereby a clutch device for clutching the rotatable members to the shaft. The two clutches are thrown simultaneously into engagement through any clutch-operating device, such for example as that illustrated in re-issued Letters Patent No. 12,085 granted to me February 24, 1903. For this purpose there is provided a collar n slidably mounted on the shaft f and adapted to be forced against the abutting face of the drum-carrying element 9 "by the clutchoperating screws a threaded in astationary abutment formed by a part of the engine frame. The clutch operating screws are moved to slide the collar along the shaft by means of levers n (Figs. 1 and 2) connected by suitable linkage to the rocker shaft a the latter in turn being connected through links a to the clutch-operating lever n and under control of and near the operator. A second slidingcollar (broken away in Fig. 3) is also located at the opposite end of the shaft abutting against the face of thedrumcarrying element h and is adapted to be forced against the latter by means of clutchoperating screws and levers, the latter also connected to the rocker shaft n in the same manner as has been already described. Movement of the clutch operating lever causes simultaneous inward movement of the two sliding collars and also of the two slidably mounted drum-carrying members,

the latter having their inward peripheral with their cone surfaces in frictional engagement with the surfaces of the clutch member m. When this takes place in each case two of the three gearing elements are fixed relatively to the shaft and. the third element carrying the winding drum is also looked directly to the driving shaft.

The full operation. of the device will be apparent. The carriage is traversed from one point to another at the relatively high rate of speed by throwing the clutch-operating lever to drive the winding drums shown in Fig. 5 directly from the driving shaft. When properly positioned the carriage may be held. with or without its load by holding the driving shaft against rotation, which. be done through the engine itself or by the brake bands 9 and h, if desired. When the load is ready for hoisting, the clutch lever may be thrown out of engagement and the friction lever into engagement to give the relatively slow reverse movement to the drums. When suitably elevated, the load is again traversed by throwing the clutch into and the friction out of engagement. The reversal. of the hoisting or traversing movement may be offected by permitting reverse movement of the driving motor. in the present instance I have provided a suitable reversing gear in dicated in outline in Fig. 2 (but partly removed from Fig. 1) and operated from the rock shaft 0, the latter in turn being moved tlntough links 0 and the reversing lever 0 The slow speed which is utilized on the hoisting movement permits the application of increased power to the lifting of the load without, however, bringing any material strain upon. the brake bands, since but a fractional part of the entire load is required to be held by each band. The members 9 and h which constitute the rotatable members of each planetary gearing system, are preferably provided with means which maintain them in generally the same relative position, such means herein being a series of pins m which are secured to a radial flange 772. upon the member 71 and pass loosely through oppositely located holes in a corresponding flange upon the member 9. This permits each clutch face to adjust itself to its corresponding friction surface when the clutch is thrown into, engagement, while still maintaining the two clutch members in a generally fixed relation. By securing the movable members together, the actual force necessary to apply to the clutch for holding the load while the carriage is being traversed, is reduced, for the planetary gearing connection between the shaft and the two members 9 and Izabeing reversed the strains upon the two clutch faces are in opposite directions permitting the greater to be partly neutralized by the lesser.

Referring now to. Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, I have there shown an improved form of trolley carriage which while adapted for general use in connection with hoisting and conveying systems is particularly adapted for employment in connection with some such sys tour as has been described and is outlined in Figs. 4 and 5. The carriage is supported by the cable 1 (Figs. 4, and 5) upon the trolley wheels 8, threein number and arranged in substantially the central plane of carriage to give the latter an even suspension. The hoisting winches 7r, k are located beneath the trolley wheels, symmetrically arranged. with respect to the transverse central plane and coaxially secured to the hoisting drums 76 1c. T he strands of the operating cables sr after being carried about the hoisting drums several turns pass to the opposite ends of the cable-way and return beneath the suspension sheaves 3 located near the top of the carriage and at the opposite side of a central longitudinal plane from the hoisting drums k thereby to equalize the rope strain and maintain the even suspension of the carriage. The hoisting rope k is wound and unwound at the same rate of speed from the two, opposing drums, but in each case the line of draft will obviously move progressively lengthwise the periphery of the drums as successive convolutions of the rope are laid upon or unwound from the drum surface. In practice it has been found. diflicult to compel the rope to wind up evenly on the drum surface. Unless the suspension of the carriage is perfect, each successive convolution tends to climb upon the preceding one. If the rope is under strain and off the center of the carriage, the tipping effect upon the carriage is augmented and the climbing tendency of the rope further increased In the present instance I have provided means for guiding the hoisting rope so that it is caused to be wound evenly upon its hoisting drum, and furthermore, have taken advantage of the two hoisting rope strands employed in the present case to neutralize the tipping effect upon the carriage of the one strand by that of the other. To this end the ropes are wound upon their respective drums starting from opposite sides of the central plane of the carriage, so that the line of draft of the two ropes approaches and recedes equally from the central plane of the carriage, or the center of gravity of the system, thus. maintaining the resultant line of draft substantially fixed and causing no disturbance in the equilibrium of the carriage.

Referring to Figs. 7, 8 and 9, each hoisting rope k is. caused to pass through a guiding slot formed in a suitable guiding device 8 carried each by a link 8 connecting the cor 1 responding free ends of equalizing bars 3', which are pivotally secured to the bottom of the trolley carriage frame; thus, as the ropes wind or unwind, the progressive movement of the one forces, through the reciprocal 13 0 action of the equalizing device, a correspondingly reverse movement of the other. This not only overcomes the tendency of the remaining rope to climb or double up, but also neutralizes the strain thereof upon the suspension of the carriage, for whatever the position of one rope, the other must be equally distant from the central plane of the carriage. 'i re guiding device 5: is in the general shape of an arc terminating in the head 8", which latter is adapted to bear upwardly against the cross connecting brace s, so that in the upward movement of the hook, if the latter strike the guiding device at any other than a central point, it will be deflected upwardly and rearwardly against the head 8 which latter is capable of withstanding the blow or strain.

It is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the various details or form and arrangement of parts which have been herein described, the same being submitted for illustrative purposes, but that many modifications may be made in the system, as I have herein described the same, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Claim:

1. In a hoisting and conveying system the combination with a trolley carriage of pairs of operating cable strands leading to said carriage from opposite directions, means for causing the strands of each pair to move in the same direction at one rate of speed for the traversing of the carriage and means also causing the strands of each pair to move in opposite directions at a slower rate of speed for hoisting the load.

2. A hoisting and conveying system having a trolley carriage, pairs of operating cable strands leading to said carriage from opposite directions and from a pair of winding drums, and means for rotating said drums at any one of a plurality of speeds.

3. A hoisting and conveying system having a trolley carriage, pairs of operating cable strands leading tosaid carriage from opposite directions, and from a pair of winding drums, and means for rotating said drums at one speed or at a dii'l'erent speed. and in a reverse relative direction.

4. In a hoisting and conveying system the combination with a trolley carriage of pairs of operating cable strands leading to said carriage from opposite directions, a plurality of winding drums controlling said strands, said drums being provided each with direct clutching means and speed reduction means between the drum and the source of driving power.

5. In a hoisting and conveying system the combination with a trolley carriage of pairs of operating cable strands leading to said carriage from opposite directions, winding drums controlling said strands, driving means l ing strands, and an equalizing bar connected for said winding drums, clutching means between said drums and sald driving means,

speed reduction gearing and-means for rendering effective said speed reduction gearing.

6. A hoisting and conveying system having a trolley carriage, pairs of operating cable strands leading to said carriage from opposite directions, means for causing the strands ol' each pair to move in the same direction at one rate of speed, and means also for causing the strands of each pair to move in opposite directions at a di'llerent rate of speed.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a trolley carriage of a plurality of winding drums thereon to and about each of which there leads a cable strand, of means for maintaining the result ant line of draft of such cable strands substantially fixed with respect to a given point.

8. In an apparatus of the class described the combination with a trolley carriage of a pair of winding drums thereon to and about each of which there leads a cable strand, of connected cable guiding means engaging each strand.

9. In an apparatus of the class described the combination with a trolley carriage of rope winding drums thereon of cable guiding means comprising a ivoted equalizing bar, and means connecte with said bar to engage the respective cables.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a trolley carriage of winding drums thereon of rope guiding means comprising a plurality of pivoted equalizing bars, links connecting said bars and rope guiding devices carried by said links.

11. in an apparatus of the class described a trolley carriage, a pair of drums to and about each of which there leads a cable strand and means to maintain the lines of draft of the respective cables substantially symmetrical with respect to the center of gravity of the carriage.

12. The combination with a trolley carriage of a p air of winding drums thereon with cable strands leading thereto, of reciprocally acting guiding means for said strand.

13. The combination with a trolley carriage of a rope winding drum thereon of means for progressively laying the successive convolutions of said rope lengthwise the pe riphery of said drum.

let. The combination with a trolley carriage of a plurality of rope winding drums thereon and rope equalizing means therefor.

15. In an apparatus oi the class described, a cable-way, a trolley carriage sustained thereon, a pair of rope-winding drums lying transversely said carriage, cable strands depending from said drums and adapted to be wound on or unwound from the same, a rope-guiding device for each of said dependto each of said rope-guiding devices and I name to this specification, in the presence of adapted to cause reclprocal movement of the two subscnblng wltnesses.

sznne thereby t0 nmlntznn the hne s of draft ALMON E NORRIS of the lespectlve strands substentmlly symmetrical with respect to the center of gravity Witnesses:

0f the carriage. THOMAS B. BOOTH,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my EDITH E. CHAPMAN. 

